How Much Does A 66 Coupe Weigh??

[Anonymous]

The 'Auto Math Handbook' (John Lawlor. HP Books. 1992. pp 53-54) lists a method to get tongue weights of trailers -- it works as well for getting individual wheel weights of our cars -- at home using some wood, a brick, two bits of pipe, and your bathroom scale.

Here's how:

1. Jack up one wheel of your car -- do it so that the bottom of the tire is clear (don't place the jack under the tire or suspension).
2. Place the brick with a bit of pipe laying on it so the pipe is 1 1/2 feet inboard of the tire's center (under the car), with the long axis of both the brick and pipe in line with the car (pointing in the same direction as the vehicle).
3. Place the bathroom scale so its center line is 2 1/2 feet outboard from the tire center, and lay the other bit of pipe, also in line with the car, in the center of the scale.
4. Now place the wood (2X4, 4X6) so that it goes under the tire, and lays on both pipes.
5. Read off the weight reading on the scale with just the wood and pipe.
6. Jack the car down slowly until the wood is supporting the wheel weight. Read off the weight reading on the scale now that the full wheel weight is on it.
7. Subtract the first reading from the second to give you how much wheel weight is on the scale.
8. Multiply that difference by the distance between the two pipes (measure it now, just to be sure!), in this case, 4 ft (1 1/2 + 2 1/2 = 4), and that gives you the wheel weight.

Do that for each wheel (yes, it's a lot of getting up and down and jacking the car...), and you'll have all four wheel weights. Add them all up, and you have your vehicle weight. Divide each wheel's weight reading by the total weight, and you can calculate Front/Rear weights and Side to Side weights as well.

The purpose of the pipes is to, as closely as possible, get the massess centered on the brick and scale so that the calculations are more precise. The more accurately you make the measurements between the pipes, the more accurate the outcome. Same holds with the weight readings. If you have a 10-yr old cheapie bathroom scale that bounces around +/-10 pounds, don't bother.

Of course, with Christmas coming, if you have a significant other, you could buy them one of those fairly high-end digital bathroom scales -- then take it out to the garage and get your measurements repeatably down to +/- a quarter pound or so. Clean it up before bringing it back in the house, or you'll lose all the 'Atta Boy' points you got for buying the thing in the first place.

Using this method, a standard 300# bathroom scale can weigh up to 1200 pounds per wheel . If that isn't enough, get a longer piece of wood, and do the math accordingly.

--- Barrett

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy All:

Barrett- Please explain #7, "Subtract the first reading from the second". I only read about one reading per wheel. What is the 2nd reading?

Thanks for this formula and procedure. It is alot of getting up and down for an old guy, but to be objective, this is the only way. Some drag strips weigh cars in with wheel scales.

I recall reading something similiar about moving the battery to the box on an S10. The before and after readings were astounding. With the driver in place and using this wheel weight method, moving the battery alone shifted the weight back and to the passengers side significantly (Sorry, I don't recall that good).

The point of all this is that less weight is good, but getting the weight off, or adding it on, the right spot is important too. Less weight helps performance. Balanced weight is handling.

IIRC, the car should be level to the wheel that sits on the scale fulcurm. And the brick and the scale should be the same height, as well as the two peices of pipe. All measurements should be done with the tank full and the driver in place.

Adios, David

 

[Anonymous]

David --

You subtract the weight reading from having only the pipe and wood on the scale (step 5) from the weight reading derived from having the pipe, wood , _and_ wheel on the scale (step 6). The difference is the actual wheel weight.

For everybody, David is correct that everything should be as level as possible, and that the heights of the brick+pipe should be about equal to the scale+pipe. A sheet of plywood or two under the scale can help you accomplish this. I should have included that in my previous posting.

Lawlor's book describes how to calculate the leverage difference from moving weights from one end of the vehicle to the other (like David talking about moving the battery to the back of the truck), so you can decide whether its useful or not. He also describes a way ( by systematically jacking up one end or side of the vehicle, and measuring wheel weights) that you can actually calculate your car's center-of-gravity _height_, which'd be really useful for working on track / rally cars. I've never tried it, though. I'm tempted to do it on my 4X4 truck just to convince my better half that she really, really shouldn't stuff it into corners as fast as she does....

By the way David, given how much of your time, skills, enthusiasm, and knowledge you've given to all us scattered Ford 'I-Sixers', just let me know, and I'll find a way to Idaho and do"getting up and down" for you and your Ranchero. We all owe you and Dennis big-time, so it'd only be fitting.

(But can we wait for the weather to warm up?)

--- Barrett

 

[CZLN6]

Howdy:

Barrett- Thanks for those kind words. My aching knees and shoulders feel better. There's 2" of snow in Southeast Idaho and more expected tomorrow. The thermo was in the low teens this AM. Maybe I should drive the Ol' Roo to the warmth of NC.

The older I get the better gravity works.
The older I get the colder cold weather seems.
If it weren't for Christimas, I'd have no use for winter at all.

I've got a couple of nagging challenges with handling and traction with my Ranchero. I've tried this-and-that with marginal improvements. I'm going to quit trying stop-gap remedies until I can get wheel weight measures next summer and then start by assessing.

I'll have all winter to think it through, gather materials and plan the process.

Happy Holidays

Adios, David

 

[Anonymous]

Hello all --

Well, this is proof positive I shouldn't explain math when I'm tired and have a few adult beverages....

My 8 steps went wrong in coming up with the multiplication factor. I'd done it a couple ways, and am just talented enough to have combined them in the message so that it wouldn't work. Below is the new, improved methodology, incorporating some of David's comments as well.

Sorry for the screw up. But if I can muck up typing this much, just imagine what I can do with a wrench!


--- Barrett

-------------- Improved method for getting wheel weights --------

Find a level spot where you have at least 4-5 feet space on each side of the vehicle.

1. Jack up one wheel of your car -- do it so that the bottom of the tire is clear (don't place the jack under the tire or suspension).

2. Place the brick with a bit of pipe laying on it so the pipe is 1 foot inboard of the tire's center (under the car), with the long axis of both the brick and pipe in line with the car (pointing in the same direction as the vehicle).

3. Place the bathroom scale so its center line is 3 feet outboard from the tire center, and lay the other bit of pipe, also in line with the car, in the center of the scale. The final heights of the two pipes should be the same. Use plywood or ??? to get them that way.

4. Now place the wood (2X4, 4X6) so that it goes under the tire, and lays on both pipes.

5. Read off the weight reading on the scale with just the wood and pipe. Write it down as the 'tare' weight.

6. Jack the car down slowly until the wood is supporting the wheel weight. Read off the weight reading on the scale now that the full wheel weight is on it. Write it down as the 'measured' weight.

7. Subtract the first reading (tare wt) from the second (measured wt) to give you how much actual wheel weight is on the scale.

8a. If the rechecked distance from the wheel center line to the pipe on the brick is 1 foot (measure it now, just to be sure!), multiply the difference between tare wt and measured wt by the distance between the two pipes. In this case it is 4 ft (1 + 3 = 4). The result of that multiplication is the wheel weight.

8b. Say, instead, you ended up with the distance from wheel center to brick-pipe being 1.5 feet, and the distance from wheel center to the scale-pipe being 2.5 feet, the multiplier will be the pipe to pipe distance divided by the wheel center to brick-pipe distance (or for this example: (1.5+2.5)/1.5 = 2.7). You can measure it in inches, centimeters, or whatever -- just do the math accordingly.

9. Do that for each wheel (yes, it's a lot of getting up and down and jacking the car...), and you'll have all four wheel weights. Add them all up, and you have your vehicle weight. Divide each wheel's weight reading by the total weight, and you can calculate Front/Rear weights and Side to Side weights as well.

----------- End improved method for getting wheel weights --------

Note 1 : If you stick to the 1 foot wheel-center to brick-pipe distance and 3 foot wheel-center to scale-pipe distance, a typical 300 pound capacity bathroom scale can handle up to 1200 # per wheel (4*300=1200). At the 1.5 foot and 2.5 foot distances, the same scale can handle up to 800 # per wheel.

Note 2 : The purpose of the pipes is to, as closely as possible, get the massess centered on the brick and scale so that the calculations are more precise. Remember, you are going to be multiplying values here, so if you don't measure correctly, you'll also multiply the errors! The more accurately you make the measurements between the pipes, the more accurate the outcome. Same holds with the weight readings. If you have a 10-yr old cheapie bathroom scale that bounces around +/-10 pounds, don't bother.

 

[Anonymous]

Doug since you are going with the glass hood and front apron have you considered glass front fenders? Maier Racing has some really nice quality glass fenders(and a bunch of other glass body parts ). I'm going with a pair on my 65 coupe. I'm also going with their spoilered trunklid and 1/4 end caps and glass rear bumper.

 

[Anonymous]

Doug since you are going with the glass hood and front apron have you considered glass front fenders? Maier Racing has some really nice quality glass fenders(and a bunch of other glass body parts ). I'm going with a pair on my 65 coupe. I'm also going with their spoilered trunklid and 1/4 end caps and glass rear bumper.

I had thought about it, but I just did some body work on them last winter and they have a fresh coat of paint on them!

Thanks for the idea though and welcome to the insanity!

Later,

Doug

 

[STEVEN.]

Hey, Dougie! Where did you get the Alloy/Rear brake drums for your car from? OO6./The-X-Or-Six!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the welcome!

But if you are going to be painting the hood and racing apron why not spray another pair of fenders? Just hang onto the steel pair for spares.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey, Dougie! Where did you get the Alloy/Rear brake drums for your car from? OO6./The-X-Or-Six!

Either a 240 0r 280 Z...I forgot which? Still need to install them though...

Alex at mustangsandmore said that by adding all the aftermarket sheetmetal he knocked 45 pounds off the weight of his. Never gave that a thought....allready did that to mine also

I deleted the center console and finally got my rear seat out of the way. Took a couple of pics

Later,

Doug

 

[Anonymous]

Doug,

That's clean!! Great workmanship. Looks like a great place for a boomer sound system if you weren't trying to lose all the wieght. Have you been timed in the quarter? I have a place for that console if you want to get rid of it. Install the brake drums and add it to your web site so we can all copy off your genius.

Later,

Bob

 

[Anonymous]

holy crap batman!!!! i thought i was a weight freak. i took my sway bar off and bolted on aluminum heads on the vee-ate car and thought i was done.....man you sick-cylinder guys are serious. hood pins, no internals to the rear windows, aluminum drums! i was thinking anything under 3200 was light, my street/strip car is a pig! i wanted to get an aluminum master cylinder once, i think it was like $80. told my wife, "look honey i can shave a few pounds with this master cylinder". she looked at the magazine, patted me on my pot belly and said, "look, you can shave 25lbs for free!" after that i quit talking to her. matter of fact im going to put rocks in her hubcaps before i go to bed tonight.